Belonging
by SkinnyLittleLesbian
Summary: Regina figures out what Emma wants for Christmas. Swan Queen.


Regina prided herself on many things in her life: how she excelled at her job, how well Henry was turning out, and how nicely trimmed her lawn was, among others. In December, however, her pride enflamed as she decorated the manor for the season. She had several tasteful white-light deer that were strategically placed in the front yard. There were multi-colored lights for the roof, a nine foot tree in the living room, and dozens of finely crafted ornaments to adorn the evergreen's branches.

Christmas was her favorite holiday. The holiday season was the one time of year during Henry's childhood when he openly showed her love – she knew he good nature and affection was due to the lavish presents she rained down upon him, but she wasn't too particular about the positive interactions she was granted with Henry. Some good was better than none, no matter the cause. Though he was more willing to reciprocate her affection after Neverland, her affinity for the holiday remained. There was something warm and welcoming about the season. She almost felt like she belonged.

"I want that new system," Henry stated before shoveling a forkful of corn into his mouth. "The one – you know the one, Emma."

"Which one?"

"The handheld – Dreamstation, or whatever."

Emma snorted. "The Vita has better graphics."

"Yeah, but it doesn't have the better games."

Regina rolled her eyes and took another bite of her meal. Hers was a considerably smaller bite than the one Henry took, but then again she wasn't trying to inhale her food like some sort human vacuum cleaner. Her only regret while raising Henry was that she wasn't able to break his bad table manners. Genetics, she feared, was stronger than upbringing in some circumstances.

Emma glanced at Regina before grinning widely. "Well, we'll see what Santa brings you this year."

"Emma, there's no such thing as Santa. I'm not a little kid."

"So you can believe an entire town is made up of fairy tales, but you can't believe that a fat man comes down your chimney once a year?" Emma scratched her head. "You don't make a lot of sense, kid."

"I'm imaginative, Emma. Not gullible."

Emma turned her gaze back to Regina. "Did he catch you putting presents out one year?"

"Henry was never visited by Santa."

"You weren't?"

He shook his head. "I never believed."

"Presents that I bought were not going to be delivered by some myth of this world," Regina stated as she poked her fork into her potatoes. "Henry knew from the beginning that I was the only Santa he needed."

"So you never got to go sit on Santa's lap?"

Henry couldn't hold in his laughter. "Who would want that? A creepy old guy pretending to be magical? I get enough of that in town."

Emma's expression dulled. She shrugged and took a sip of her wine. "I guess you're right."

"Did you-" Regina started. She licked her lips and tried again. "Did you sit on Santa's lap when you were a child?"

"Only once, and I don't remember it. I just remember seeing the picture of it years later. I looked pretty happy about it. A lot of babies cry, but not me. I had the widest grin you'd ever see." Emma cleared her throat. "But Henry's right. The whole practice is a little weird."

"Emma…"

"So did you write him a list every year?" Henry's eyes lit up. The conversation was fascinating to him, as a pure nonbeliever.

"Until I was six."

"What happened when you were six?"

Regina shot Henry a sharp look. They were clearly delving into negative territory, and this certainly wasn't the season for wallowing in past depressions. "Henry, why don't you-"

"I sorta realized that Santa came for the good kids, but I wasn't one of those."

"You got presents didn't you?" Henry persisted, despite Regina's darkening glare.

"Yeah. One year I got this really soft lamb stuffed animal. I slept with Dolly every night until that family sent me back."

"You didn't get to bring it with?"

"Oh, I could have." Emma pushed her plate back, the food mostly untouched. "But I didn't want to."

"Why not?"

Regina let her gaze soften and swivel to Emma, her curiosity piqued by Henry's insistent questioning. "If you're willing to share…?"

"I didn't want a stuffed animal. I wanted a family."

"Oh." Henry looked a bit sobered by the exchange but brightened once more after only a moment had passed. "Well what do you want this year? You have a family now, so you can ask for anything and get both."

"I just want to be with you guys." Emma smiled, but Regina detected sadness behind the expression. "That's all I need this year and any other."

"Seriously?" Henry's mind flittered immediately to his desired gaming platform. Emma was crazy if she didn't even want one thing.

"Seriously," Emma confirmed.

Regina watched Emma carefully as she accepted the unspoken challenge Emma had unwittingly issued. There had to be a perfect present, Regina thought, that would change Emma's mind on receiving gifts on Christmas. She was going to find it.

0-0-0

"So what are we getting the kid?" Emma draped her arm over Regina's side. She pulled the brunette snug against her and nestled her nose against Regina's neck. "It's gotta be something good."

"You don't want to get him that system?"

"Well, I mean, I do. But if you just get him exactly what he asked for, then what'll surprise him Christmas morning?"

"I hadn't thought about that."

"So he just gives you a list each year and you just buy everything he asks for?"

Regina was silent a moment before trying to tug free from Emma's grip. "I suppose."

Emma refused to let go and simply tugged Regina closer. Her mouth found the soft skin of Regina's shoulder, and she sought to soothe the other woman with a series of gentle pecks. When Regina resisted, her tongue darted out to taste Regina's skin – which finally drew a small sigh and a release of the tension in Regina's body.

"I'm not trying to be critical because, let's face facts, I really have no idea what I'm doing with this." She pressed her forehead to Regina's body. "I just – I want to make this great, y'know? Our first big Christmas all together. So if I can – I don't know…"

"And you're certain you don't want anything for yourself?"

"I'm positive."

Regina leaned until Emma flopped backward. She rolled on top of the blonde and pressed a series of firm kisses along Emma's jawline. Emma's hands moved immediately to Regina's back where they slipped under Regina's sleep shirt.

"You're absolutely sure," Regina purred, her lips feather light against Emma's. "You want for nothing."

"I want for you," Emma responded, sounding and feeling like she was out of breath. "That's what I want for Christmas."

Knowing she would get no further hints without revealing her hand, Regina pushed Emma back against the comforter and kissed her. As Emma pulled her top over her head, Regina considered what she might get the blonde that would truly convey her feelings. Henry bought her slippers every year without fail because, in his words, she deserved warm, cozy feet. She wore them on weekends.

But she couldn't get Emma something like that. Slippers were cute and meaningful, but not in the right way. A new leather jacket, she thought, might go over well – but that was something Emma could buy for herself. Eventually, with Emma's hot mouth working over her skin, she pushed these worries from her head and let Emma draw her back to the moment with strong, sure flicks of the tongue.

She'd have time to consider things further in the morning.

0-0-0

Henry tiptoed down the hallway, mischief glinting in his eyes and tugging at his lips. He was awake too early, but he was in no mood to wait. He peered into their bedroom, feeling ever so like a lion, and stalked toward the queen sized bed. They were motionless, he noted, and in the perfect position to be accosted. Springing forward, he bounced on top of the lump he determined to be Emma and then rolled against Regina.

"Guys, come on!" He bounced against their sleeping forms. "Today is Christmas. Seriously. I waited three hundred and sixty five days for this."

"Sixty four," Emma groused quietly.

"It was a leap year, Emma," he sassed back. "So get up."

"What time?"

Regina yawned and sat up. "Half past five."

"Just the right time to open presents before breakfast." Henry smirked. "Or I mean I could go open them alone, if you want…"

"Don't you dare," Emma commanded. She struggled to lug her body out of bed and managed to only tangle her legs further in the sheets. "I'm up. But gimme like ten more minutes before I'm awake."

Henry sighed deeply and threw himself off the bed. Regina ruffled his hair as he moped into the hallway. She then turned and cupped Emma's face. "You can sleep another ten minutes if you'd like. I'll get you some coffee."

"No, no. I'm up," Emma grunted. "Might as well act like a zombie in the kitchen."

Smirking at Emma's response, Regina bent nearer until their lips were barely touching. "Anything I can do to bring you back to life?"

Emma stole three small kisses from the insufferably-lively-in-the-morning woman and shook her head. "Save that for after Henry goes to bed."

Appreciative of Emma's effort to enjoy the holiday, Regina laced their fingers and tugged the blonde into the hall. The tree was erected in the living room, so tall its peak nearly scratched the ceiling. Though most of the ornaments were store-bought and classy, there were several that Henry had clearly made in the years of his youth – a glittery handprint, a toilet paper roll painted red and green, and a reindeer made out of Popsicle sticks.

Henry was already at the tree's base, his hands roaming the various gifts stacked beneath its branches. Regina rescued her digital camera from atop the fireplace – where she'd left it the night before to save on time in the morning – and gestured for Henry to open his first present. Emma settled back on the couch, happy to watch his face light up over and over again as he came across that silly handheld he wanted, several games to play upon it, a new jacket, and several other smaller items.

"Kid, I didn't wrap mine, but my gift to you is if you maybe wanted to take horseback riding lessons with me? I don't know what I'm doing, but we could learn together. If that's not too lame?"

His grin widened. "That'll be so cool! Do you think I could get my own horse?"

Emma glanced at Regina who stared blandly back. "This is your present, dear. You should have been prepared to deal with questions."

"Uh, we'll talk about it later? A horse is a big responsibility…"

He scampered over and hugged her anyway. "This is going to be so great."

"Yup. And not terrifying at all."

"You city slicker," Regina teased. "Give it a few lessons and you'll want a horse to replace your Bug."

"Probably not, but I'm digging the optimism."

Henry went scouring under the tree once more and came out with a small box wrapped in brilliant red paper. He read the tag and wrinkled his nose. "This one's for you, Emma."

Emma mirrored his expression as she took it from his hands. "For Emma. Love, Santa. Oh very funny, you two."

"Open it," Henry insisted. "I want to see."

She cast a nervous glance at him, suddenly aware that this was as much a surprise to him as it was to her. Regina's expression hadn't flinched an iota from impassive, so Emma pushed her fingers into the paper and tore it away. By the time she had finished unwrapping, Regina was on one knee in front of her. The brunette took the box from her fingers and popped it open.

"Christmas is my favorite holiday, Emma, because with it comes a feeling of belonging. I am aware that you have never had a place where you've had that. I wanted you to feel like a part of our celebration, so I did a good deal of thinking about what I wanted to get you for Christmas. You kept dodging my attempts to suss out your true desires, which meant I had to resort to my own devices. You said you wanted us for Christmas, and that's what I want to give you."

"Regina…"

"The best gift you could give me this Christmas is a yes. Will you marry me?"

Emma tugged the ring from its holder and examined it for less than three seconds before sliding it onto her finger. Their lips found each other, prompting a groan from Henry, but they ignored him. When they broke apart, Emma's eyes dropped down to the glittering silver band. Christmas had always been rather meaningless, and she'd never gotten what she'd wanted year after year. This ring, however, was a promise that Regina and Henry and their life all together, was permanent, and that was all she ever wanted.


End file.
